Raymond Dusendschon

Family-Placed Obituary

RAYMOND C. DUSENDSCHON, M.D. "DUSEY" Raymond C Dusendschon, M.D., of Honolulu, passed away peacefully on August 9, 2007, at the Queen's Medical Center. He was born in Redondo Beach, California on November 1, 1917, to Henry and Irba Dusendschon, who later moved the family to Anderson, California and opened the Dusendschon Drug Store. As a teenager, he ran his parents' drug store in their absence, learning how to mix prescription powders, and worked with the two "country" doctors of Anderson, who inspired him to become a physician. When he voiced his intention to pursue medicine, his school counselor told him he didn't have the grades to make it into medical school. In spite of that advice, he graduated from the University of Southern California's Medical School in an accelerated program that bestowed a medical degree upon him in three years instead of the typical four, in 1943. He married Ruth Almira Fahlbusch in San Francisco on October 22, 1943, at the Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco. He and our mother loved to tell the story that he graduated from medical school, received his commission as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army and got married all in the same week. They moved to Honolulu where he had accepted an internship at Queen's Medical Center in 1943. He later served in active duty in the Battle of Okinawa, then went on to serve in Korea . After discharge from the Army, he worked with Dr. William Dunn of Pioneer Mill in Lahaina, Maui, as a plantation doctor, living much of the time in the legendary Farden home, Puamana. In January of 1948, he moved the family to Honolulu to become a partner with The Honolulu Medical Group on Punchbowl Street. He later opened the Kaimuki branch office. In 1960, he was awarded an Atomic Energy Commission Fellowship in Industrial Medicine at Kettering Laboratory in Cincinnati, Ohio. After completing a two-year course, he and the family returned to Hawaii where he rejoined The Honolulu Medical Group as the first and for a while the only practicing occupational medicine physician in Hawaii. As such, he was contracted by Hawaiian Airlines, Pan American Air, and Hawaiian Telephone, to name a few. He was asked to become the first Medical Director with Hawaiian Telephone Company when the number of their employees reached 5,000. There, he met, counseled and treated a great number of people for 16 years, until his retirement in 1986. Until his death, he was approached by many former employees who remembered him fondly. In his retirement years, he kept busy as a master carpenter, making beautiful koa furniture. He also continued to be active through his affiliations with a number of community and fraternal organizations: 50 years as a Master Mason of Hawaiian Lodge, York Rite, Scottish Rite and he was a Past Potentate of Aloha Temple, as well as a 50-year member of Waikiki Rotary. He served on the Board of Governors for Shriners Hospital Honolulu. Survived by his loving, devoted family: his wife of nearly 64 years, Ruth; sons, Robert (Shirley) Dusendschon, Richard (Manouche) Dusendschon; daughter, Donna Jean "D.J." (Paul) Strauss, all of Honolulu; six grandchildren, Kevin (Karol) Dusendschon, Mark Dusendschon, Kris (Becky) Strauss, Heidi (Ethan Mayo) Strauss, Kora Dusendschon, Ryan Dusendschon; five great-grandchildren, Kade, Baily, Mia, Ke'ala, Macy Strauss; sister, Betty Jean Smart; care givers, Alex and Mary Rivera. A MASONIC MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2007, AT THE SCOTTISH RITE CATHEDRAL, 1611 KEWALO ST., HONOLULU, AT5 P.M. ALOHA ATTIRE IS REQUESTED. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO THE SHRINERS HOSPITAL HONOLULU, FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING THE NEW HOSPITAL. Updated on 08/21/2007.